


Behind Closed Doors

by silentepidemic



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, During Canon, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Headcanon, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Pining, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28679241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentepidemic/pseuds/silentepidemic
Summary: Life on the road is difficult and Rapunzel turns to her closest friend Cassandra for extra support when it becomes too much. In the privacy of their room, their relationship changes with new layers of closeness and intimacy as they explore the world and their friendship.Expansion upon the headcanon that Rapunzel and Cassandra sometimes cuddle and share a bed during the long caravan voyage of season 2 of Tangled the Series. Includes original stories as well as scenes tied to specific episodes/storylines.
Relationships: Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 13
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

It was a chilly night and there was an eerie quiet outside. There was only the sound of muffled footsteps and rustling fabric in the caravan. They had been between cities on their journey when bandits attempted to ambush their caravan midday. With cliffside flanking their left and a hard drop to the right, their opponents had the upper hand and made quick work to surround them. There were eight of them in total, which might have been an easy battle had their terrain not provided little room for error. Upon realizing they had in fact ambushed the princess’s convoy, they changed their objective and attempted to kidnap her for ransom. They had not factored in that she herself would not be taken easily. In the end, the bandits had all been either knocked unconscious or fled the scene. The group, however, was not without injury and the caravan was damaged. They just managed to find camp in a safe, secluded location by nightfall. Eugene, who had managed to get away from the fight with just a few bruises, kept watch while the rest of them tended to their injuries. Rapunzel was out with him, leaving Cassandra to mend alone.

Cassandra was sitting on her bed examining a bloody gash on her left forearm. Her sleeve was torn and stained in dark crimson. She removed her tunic and then her shirt gingerly, trying not to touch the open skin. She touched a wet rag to the wound and gently wiped away the dirt and blood, causing it to sting. She held it toward the light of a candle and considered it closely. It wasn’t too bad. As long as she tended to it, it should heal just fine. She picked up her gloves from the floor and spotted a wide tear in the leather. _Damn,_ she thought, running her fingers over the clean edge. She had just bought them. She began to rummage through her belongings for her sewing kit when she heard the door.

Rapunzel stepped into the caravan, eyes looking down and an arm across her body. She turned toward her vanity and sat, not acknowledging Cassandra, and sighed. Cassandra placed the glove on her bed and tentatively walked toward her. “Raps?” The princess was looking in the mirror at something on her neck and didn’t seem to notice Cassandra approaching her. She placed a hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder, who startled. She withdrew her hand quickly and looked into the mirror.

During the scuffle, the bandits had become desperate and one grabbed Rapunzel from behind, holding a knife to her throat. In turn, he had received a frying pan to the face (and likely a concussion). Until now, she was certain Rapunzel had been the only one lucky enough to avoid damage. She always seemed to be able to come away from a fight without getting hurt. However, a loud red cut across Rapunzel’s throat now told a different story. Her delicate fingers were tracing across the wound, a halo of dried blood on the edges. Cassandra hadn’t noticed it before and from the dark red, she realized it must have been painful, hidden underneath her shirt. Rapunzel’s features were unreadable.

“Do you want me to clean that out for you?” Cassandra didn’t know what else to say. Her friend had her throat slit. Rapunzel nodded and began to unbutton her top. She removed her shirt, exposing her neck completely. There were patches of light pink near the cut where the blood had dried. Cassandra regularly dressed Rapunzel and had seen her in this state, her chest covered by a thin camisole, but tonight, she looked particularly small and delicate, her warm skin smooth and without scars or imperfection. Cassandra was pale and scarred with battle damage after training her entire life with the guard, marking a stark contrast. And yet, her hands were gentle and knew what to do.

Cassandra prepared a salve and dampened a clean cloth in warm water she heated from the fire of a lantern, something she would not have done for herself but she never hesitated to give extra care for Rapunzel. She dabbed the cut gingerly while Rapunzel winced and stared up at the ceiling. The cut was hot to the touch, irritated after brushing against fabric for hours. It was now clear of debris but it was raw. Cassandra ran a salve covered finger across the wound, hand lingering on her neck as she examined it for early signs of risk of infection. She did not realize how close she had gotten to the princess until she looked up, their faces but an inch from one another. Rapunzel’s face flushed but didn’t move. Cass became very aware of how her hands rested upon either side of Rapunzel’s neck. Her own face burning, Cassandra withdrew her hands and put them in her lap.

“It should heal without scarring,” she told her hands, unsure why it was hard to return the princess’s gaze.

“Thank you.” Rapunzel’s voice was soft, quiet. Vulnerable.

Cassandra withdrew to her bed and heard shuffling feet as Rapunzel undressed behind their privacy curtain. Cassandra herself finally removed her boots and pants and settled herself into bed, feeling warmth in her face, despite a dreadful chill attempting to consuming the air.

\---

Cassandra stirred and felt a gentle hand touch her on the shoulder. She mumbled into her pillow and blinked up to a dark but familiar figure that stood alongside her bed. “Mmm?” She managed just a short mumble of question to the shadow.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” The voice whispered, radiating warmth despite darkness.

“Uh huh,” she spoke back, absent mindedly at the familiar voice that she fondly longed for.

There was a shift in the bed and Cassandra felt arms grip around her tightly. It took a few moments to register what was happening when her eyes sprang open, heart racing. She felt Rapunzel adjust herself so she was flush against her body. Rapunzel’s face had nestled directly into Cassandra’s neck and she seemed to comfortably settle herself in, only the thin fabric of their camisoles separating their bodies. She could feel the warm breath on her neck as Rapunzel breathed a long sigh of relief, something she must have been holding for hours. A hand rested on the small of Cassandra’s back, comfortable as if it were an existing habit.

In the dark, Cassandra became aware of every small touch and the way in which Rapunzel’s open hand felt warm against her back and the soft skin of Rapunzel’s leg wrapped around her own. She hoped Rapunzel couldn’t hear how loudly her heart was pounding, impossibly so in this otherwise silent room. She took a deep breath, trying hard not to focus on the flowery smell of her friend’s golden hair and the fluttering warmth in her belly. But if Rapunzel realized how flustered her friend was, she didn’t let on. Resigned to her situation, Cassandra wrapped her own arms around Rapunzel and rested a cheek on the top of her head. Cassandra felt her a hum of content at her neck. She smiled and allowed herself to close her eyes as she settled back to sleep.

\---

The rising sun brought with it a fresh day and a faint glow in the room. Cassandra moaned as the light brought her back to consciousness and her senses slowly came back to her. The first thing she registered was warmth in her chest, the result of Rapunzel’s face resting just above Cassandra’s heart. Initial confusion turned to panic as she registered that the princess had actually climbed into her bed last night and was curled up opposite of her, a hand resting lazily on Cassandra’s hip. It had felt like a dream, hazy and impossible. She was afraid to move, to disrupt this moment and awaken her friend to the new day. Maybe if she moved slowly, she could get up without awakening Rapunzel…

“Breakfast!” A loud knock of the door and booming voice of Lance caused Rapunzel and Cassandra to both jump. Rapunzel nearly fell off the bed but Cassandra quickly grabbed her by the waist and steadied her .

“We’ll be out soon!” Cassandra called back, trying to contain the panic at the idea that anyone might come into the room. Receding footsteps told her he had left. Rapunzel shook her head and touched a hand to her face, orienting herself. She looked down at the bed and then up at Cassandra, eyes wide.

“Oh Cass, I’m so sorry!” She ran fingers through the ends of her hair nervously, words rapidly escaping her. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I just couldn’t fall asleep and you looked so peaceful so I thought…” She trailed off and avoided Cassandra’s gaze.

“No, it’s okay.” Cassandra smiled reassuringly. She couldn’t tell her that it was actually the best she had slept in weeks and that her heart fluttered at the memory of Rapunzel’s breath on her neck. She placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you feeling better?”

Rapunzel touched a hand to her neck, scrunching up her nose and frowning. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Let’s put more salve on it and get you dressed, okay?” Rapunzel nodded, glancing at the door. “We can hide it under your shirt.” she added, picking up on her anxiety. Rapunzel looked relieved. Cassandra stood up and held out a hand to her friend. She smiled and graciously took it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Hope you liked it! More chapters to come that are episode specific and some that are original ideas. 
> 
> I got the idea to write the story after talking on the Cassunzel discord about my favorite headcanon. I decided to run with it and see where it went! I love some good old fashion slow burn romance that involves physical affection that is platonic but also not at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra struggles with loneliness and we see what happens after Freebird ends.

After the events of the evening, neither of them spoke about it or even acknowledged anything was different for the rest of the day. Rapunzel was jovial and affectionate with Eugene, who was none the wiser than she actually had been experiencing any level of destress after the previous day’s fight. She was actually so normal that Cassandra wasn’t even sure if her friend had even felt that anything _was_ different. Maybe climbing into Cassandra’s bed and spending the night in her arms wasn’t something that significant to the princess?

 _Yes, that’s it. You’re just in your head about it_ , Cass decided. She just wasn’t used to that degree of intimacy and Rapunzel was always much more comfortable with physical affection so it was nothing. Not desiring the company of anyone else, she volunteered to steer the caravan and spent most of the day watching the road ahead, enjoying the solitude and comfort of her own thoughts.

It was pleasantly uneventful after the previous day. Owl flew overhead, occasionally hooting to confirm a safe voyage ahead. She watched Max and Fidella’s heads bob in rhythm to their footfalls and watched the many shadows of the forest shrink and expand as the day went on. The black rocks shined bright with the reflection of the sun, sometimes looking as though they were pulsating. Her mind began to wander and her thoughts returning to the previous evening. Her heart fluttered thinking of Rapunzel’s arms wrapped around her and the way that her bed on the road had finally felt like home after long restless nights. She thought about how truly lonely she was, recalling their morning around a fire, watching the rest of their party connect and laugh while she ate quietly. After a night of closeness, she felt the absence of connection more now than ever.

“Hey Cass.” Rapunzel’s head had suddenly appeared to her left and Cassandra jumped. She swore quietly to herself, brought out of her trance. “Oh, sorry!” she said apologetically, leaning out and putting a hand on her shoulder. “The boys wanted to see if we could stop and set up camp soon.”

“Sure, that’s fine,” she said, staring ahead. Just then, Owl had come into sight and flew down, landing on Cassandra’s outstretched arm. He hooted at her, his wide eyes bright and expressive. “There’s a clearing up ahead by the river, we can make camp there.” She threw her arm out and Owl flew ahead. Rapunzel disappeared back inside and Cassandra felt a pang of sadness, missing her. She shook her head, silently shaming herself for something so absurd. She spent most of her days with Rapunzel, it was ridiculous to miss her just because she wasn’t beside her at this moment. But she did.

They settled in and made camp in a nook by the river, conveniently hidden from the road and other travelers but not too far away to make a quick escape impossible. Cassandra wandered away with the intent to scout ahead. She found a series of boulders alongside the nearby cliffside, just tall enough to give her an ample view above the treetops and climbed them with ease. She stood atop them, feeling the chill of the wind against her face. The road sloped downward into another thick blanket of trees that carried on for as far as Cassandra could see. The stars began to appear in the sky and she made a note of their positioning so that she could chart this spot in her maps. She admired the black rocks that appeared to flow in waves along the roadside. 

“Cass, come join us!” Rapunzel had appeared below her. She climbed back down and Rapunzel offered out a hand as she neared the ground. She didn’t need it for support but she took her hand nonetheless.

“There she is,” Eugene said, greeting the pair. “Why so antisocial, Cassandra?” She scowled in response and sat opposite of him. “Oh come on, you know I’m just teasing.”

“Maybe if the teasing were clever, Fitzherbert, I’d laugh.” Lance chortled

“She’s got you there,” he said, elbowing his friend. Eugene frowned.

“I think you’re plenty clever,” Rapunzel assured him, sitting at his side and squeezing his arm.

Cassandra watched on as Eugene and Lance began to rip into one another, trying to one up another on their wit. She sat quietly as Rapunzel practiced her guitar and Hook Foot sang a song slightly off tune. Feeling out of place, she removed her sword from its sheath and a stone from her pouch and began sharpening the blade. By the glow of the fire, she noted the imperfections and smoothed them out, the others fading from attention. She only snapped out of her focused state when a bucket of water was thrown over the fire, extinguishing her light and splashing water all over her boots.

“Watch it, Eugene!” She glared up at him, who grimaced empathetically and sputtered out a string of words in apology. She groaned as she got up and headed into the caravan.

She removed the wet shoes and woolen socks and placed them next to a lit candle to dry. She sat on the floor, hugging her knees. Rapunzel appeared a few moments later and rushed over to her.

“He really didn’t mean to, Cass. It was bad aim.”

“It’s fine, Rapunzel.” Noticing her flat tone, Rapunzel sat next to her on the floor.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you all day. Are you okay? You’ve been really quiet today.”

“I’m quiet every day.”

“Oh come on Cass.” Rapunzel frowned. “Are you mad at me?” Cassandra’s heart hurt.

“Of course not. I just…” Cassandra’s chest felt tight and she didn’t finish. She thought about the many times throughout the day in which she was reminded of feeling out of place. Cassandra knew she wasn’t fun and that she wasn’t the best company on this journey. She had always struggled to make friends and it didn’t help that she was the headstrong daughter of the captain of the guard. She spent most of her childhood alone or training alongside the guard. Ever since she had returned to castle, Rapunzel had been her closest and only friend. But the princess could, and did, make friends with just about everyone she met. Cassandra’s only other friend was an owl. “I’m just tired today.”

Rapunzel was not convinced. She took one of Cassandra’s hands and squeezed it. Cassandra looked down in surprise before returning the princess’s gaze. “You don’t have to tell me. But I’m here if you change your mind.”

For the rest of the evening, they sat on her bed, Rapunzel drawing in her journal while Cassandra busied herself repairing her leather gloves, which still had a gash in them from the previous day’s scuffle. The silence was comfortable; they didn’t need to speak to enjoy one another’s company and Cassandra didn’t feel much like talking. More than once, Cassandra caught Rapunzel staring at her, like she was studying her features. The journal was positioned away from her but she realized that Rapunzel was drawing her and felt her face flush. She ignored the rush it gave her in her stomach.

When Rapunzel went to bed, Cassandra fought hard to bury down her sadness at having an empty bed this night. By the dim light of a candle, she worked on her maps, studying and planning the next few weeks of their journey. She made notes about the quantities of their supplies and when they might need to visit a city. She marked areas on the map that were considered to be more dangerous and mentally made a note to prepare to fight for Rapunzel’s safety. The more she worked, the more she was able to reframe her thoughts back to the princess and her destiny ahead. This was what they needed to focus on, what she needed to prioritize. She was here to bring Rapunzel to whatever this destiny was, awaiting her in the Dark Kingdom; she knew her objective. As she fell asleep, the dark images of the black rocks filled her thoughts, mesmerizing and terrifying.

\--

When the caravan’s wheel broke the following day, Rapunzel eagerly took Cassandra away from the ridiculousness that was Eugene, Lance, and Hook Foot. She appreciated it but was cynical and unsure if this detour was necessary when they had an important task at hand. They needed to keep moving. She did enjoy being alone with her friend, away from the constant comments from Eugene and Lance about her personality that often hurt more than she would let on. Despite her complaints and resistance, she did enjoy exploring this forest with Rapunzel.

What she had not anticipated was finding herself and Rapunzel being turned into birds by some weridos in the woods, getting captured by said people after a brief hour of flying, and ultimately almost losing her best friend to her bird form forever. Rapunzel had made sure that Cassandra had been saved, willing to sacrifice herself in an act of selflessness. In the moments in which she processed that reality, Cassandra had never been so stricken with grief. “Oh Raps, you’re my best friend! Please don’t leave me,” she had pleaded to the small Rapunzel bird in her hands. Rapunzel had stared up at her with sad green eyes, blinked and they turned black, void of emotion. In a rage, she had destroyed the bird pitcher and the possibility of this fate for anyone else. Until Shorty had appeared, providing the eggs they needed to free her, Cassandra had spent excruciatingly painful minutes believing she had lost her best friend forever. She did not know how much she had genuinely needed her until she had gone.

After Rapunzel had returned to her true self, Cassandra did not leave her side and wrapped an arm around her as they walked back to the caravan. Their companions were none the wiser at what had truly happened today and Cassandra preferred it this way. They didn’t speak but Rapunzel leaned into her, resting her head on Cass’s shoulder and humming as they walked.

\---

That evening, Rapunzel asked Cassandra to help brush her hair before bed, something she often needed after a day of exploration and adventure. The golden hair filled the room with a glow and they settled in. It had collected a few twigs and knots had formed, which Cass easily brushed out. She ran her fingers through the silky, magic hair when she felt something sharp prick her finger. Confused, she felt around for the culprit and pulled out a long lavender feather. She twirled it in her fingers before being hit with a horrible pang of anguish, thinking of that delicate little bird in her hands, eyes expressionless. She didn’t know what to do, she just stared at it. Rapunzel noticed that she had stopped and looked over her shoulder.

“Cass?” She barely heard her, consumed by the thought that she had almost lost her _forever._ Before Cassandra could will herself to stop, her eyes filled with tears and she started to cry. She immediately stood up and fled to her bed where she sat in the corner, hands shielding her face.

 _She’s right there. You didn’t lose her. She’s right there._ Cassandra tried to console herself with no avail, no relief of this underlying panic of what could have been. Everything she had been holding for weeks seemed to be pouring out of her right now. She desperately wanted to belong, to matter. She was surrounded by reminders constantly that she existed for other people and that this was her purpose. She was to get Rapunzel where she needed to go, it was the reason she was here. But Rapunzel always made Cassandra feel like she was more than that to her, more than just a guard or a lady in waiting. If the one person who believed in her value was gone, who would she even be?

A wave of pressure enveloped her as Rapunzel hugged her tightly from behind. She cried harder, now clutching Rapunzel’s hands in her own as she held her. Rapunzel’s face was next to hers, offering soothing tones of comfort. Cassandra leaned into her, their temples touching. Rapunzel did not let up on her tight grip on her friend, holding her while she cried.

When finally it felt as though no more tears would come, Cassandra let out a shaky breath and straightened up. Rapunzel released her from the embrace and Cassandra turned around, looking down at her hands. It was a show of emotion that Cassandra had never in her life let anyone see. It was rare for her to allow herself to succumb and when she did, it was in the complete privacy of her room. She watched Rapunzel take one of her hands from her lap and squeeze it. She looked up.

Rapunzel’s features were soft, her eyes impossibly kind and spoke of something that Cassandra was afraid to name. Rapunzel leaned close to her and took her face in one of her hands. Tears threatened to fall again, despite her eyes feeling so dry and sore. Cassandra wanted to look away, just retreat and never let her see this part of her, but she couldn’t. She looked into Rapunzel’s bright green eyes and just let herself feel it all.

“I almost lost you today,” Cassandra said weakly, a tear falling down her already wet face.

“I know,” Rapunzel ran her thumb over the spot where the tear had fallen. “Not giving you the last egg wasn’t an option.” Rapunzel’s lip began to quiver and she squeezed her hand. “Cass, you’re my best friend. I would be completely lost without you.” She leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. They sat like this for a while, an array of emotions swirling around them.

Rapunzel stood up abruptly and Cassandra looked up confused. Rapunzel held out her hand and pulled Cassandra up with her. She just walked toward the ladder to her bed and climbed up, dragging her endless hair up with her. She looked down at her friend’s bewildered face and hummed out a small giggle.

“My bed is more comfortable than yours,” Rapunzel smiled down at her and Cassandra responded with a laugh, her heart feeling much lighter in this moment. She climbed the ladder and Rapunzel held her arms wide open. She leapt into them without hesitation and they fell back onto the bed, laughing. Rapunzel squeeze her tightly around the waist and hummed happily into her neck, giving Cass a slight shiver. Rapunzel rolled them over so she was atop Cassandra and then lifted herself on her forearms, beaming down at her.

“Can we have sleepovers in my bed more often?” Rapunzel’s face was so close to hers and with their completely bodies flush, Cassandra felt her breath catch slightly. Her eyes drifted down to Rapunzel’s lips but immediately caught herself and quickly brough them back to her eyes. She hesitated to answer, a knot forming in her throat and guilt about how selfish she was for enjoying this closeness.

“Of course,” she finally responded. Rapunzel purred in pleasure and nuzzled herself into her Cassandra’s neck as she relaxed back into her. When Rapunzel’s lips brushed against the delicate skin beneath her ear, Cassandra felt a flutter in her heart. Something awakened in her, buried feelings that she refused to look at. They came on full force, screaming to be seen now that she was wrapped in the arms of the person that she—

 _Oh no._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra is catching some *feelings*! I always felt like there might be a little more emotional impact following Freebird so I decided to make that this chapter's focus. Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for all the kind words about the previous chapter. It made me so happy to see that you guys liked it! More to come!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! Hope you liked it! More chapters to come that are episode specific and some that are original ideas. 
> 
> I got the idea to write the story after talking on the Cassunzel discord about my favorite headcanon. I decided to run with it and see where it went! I love some good old fashion slow burn romance that involves physical affection that is platonic but also not at all.


End file.
